Making the most of your market research

It’s vital to assess the status quo before your school can even think about moving forward, and at mtmconsulting we believe so passionately in the value of incisive market research that we spend much of our time and energy carrying out bespoke survey projects on behalf of schools that are serious about unlocking their future business potential.

But how to ensure that market research really answers those burning questions?

Effective research requires effective planning

1) Know your objectives at the outset

Identifying the key aims of the market research before the project begins is time well spent. This ensures that the survey can be tailored to meet your school’s needs exactly, and that the results will provide all the information required to make decisions on those anticipated next steps. Once the project has begun, it is not possible to add or amend questions without skewing the outcome and rendering it more or less useless.

2) Decide on your sample

Knowing who is to be surveyed is essential if the research is to be formulated to elicit the most useful response. Appropriate phrasing of the questions, the sequence of questions and even whether an incentive might be appreciated all depends on the type of people being asked for their opinions. It’s worth bearing in mind that a school’s current parents are always more willing to share their views than parents who elected for their children not to join the school. Typically response rates of online surveys are around 40% for current parents while non-joiner levels hover around 10%.

3) Keep it brief

Avoid the over-long questionnaire, which is likely to bore your respondent and perhaps discourage them from sticking it out to the bitter end. Once the objectives and the sample are set, it’s possible to keep the number of questions to the bare minimum. Fewer than 50 questions is recommended to ensure your respondent remains engaged and willing to share throughout.

4) Keep it relevant

Potential parents are not likely to know about the quality of teaching at your school, nor how good the catering is, so don’t ask them. Similarly, the parents of pupils who have left or are leaving the school after seven or 14 years are unlikely to remember their specific reasons for choosing the school, or why they opted for yours over the competition.

5) Know who will use the output

We regularly undertake research on behalf of one department, only to hear that the output has been used by another. For example, Mandarin catchment areas analysis is often commissioned by the marketing department, but, however, the bursar finds it most helpful when planning budgets. It is useful to identify which departments are likely to benefit from the results of your school’s market research, as this may inform the way we formulate our report and analyse the issues that arise. Our aim is to make sure that the market research proves to be of the utmost value to your school and will form the basis of its future success.

Contact james@emrsolutions.co.uk or call us on 01502 722787 to find out more about how our extensive research services can benefit you.